Combination ironing board, chair, and ladder unit



A. E. HINCH Oct. 12, 1954 COMBINATION IRONING BOARD, CHAIR, AND LADDERUNIT Filed April 24, 1952 Patented Oct. 12 1 954 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE C OMBINATION IRONING BOARD, CHAIR, AND LADDER UNIT Arthur EdwardHinch, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Appiication April 24, 1952, Serial No.284,071

Claims priority, application Canada April 27, 1951 '7 Claims. (Cl.15542) This invention relates to collapsible ironing boards, and inparticular to an ironing board arranged in combination with anadjustable stand to provide a unit which is convertible into a chair orinto a step ladder.

The object of the invention is to provide a combined ironing board andstand which is adapted to be adjusted manually to convert thecombination into a chair or a portable step ladder without using toolsand without altering the fixed relationship between any of the parts, bysimply tilting the ironing board, forwardly or rearwardly as the casemay be, into a substantially vertical position from a horizontalposition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination asaforesaid in which the height of the ironing board above the floor isvariable within a useful range without special adjustment.

In the accompanying drawings in which each reference character denotesthe same part in all the views;

Fig. l is a perspective view of the normal arrangement of the ironingboard and stand for use as such;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the invention converted into achair; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the invention converted into aladder.

The ironing board I0, made either'from wood, metal or other suitablematerial, is mounted on a metal frame providing a stand and comprising afront section A and a rear section B, the two sections being suitablyhinged together, whereby the ironing board ID and the rear section B ofthe frame may be tilted backwardly (toward the wide end of the board I0,see Fig. 2) into compact relation with the front section A of the frameto convert the combination into a chair, or tilted forwardly (toward thenarrow end of the board and toward the front of the chair, see Fig. 3)to convert it into a step ladder.

The front section A comprises two identical side frame members I I, I Iformed into the shape of the front legs I I, rear legs I l and frontseat supporting portion I I of a chair. The rear legs II have a steppedshape providing tread-supporting portions II to accommodate a tread I2;this constitutes the first step of the ladder when the rear section B ofthe stand is tilted forwardly to the ladder position (see Fig. 3).Extensions of the frame members I! are extended upwardly from the top ofthe front legs II and are curved toward the rear to provide arms I3 andare then curved downwardly and forwardly to 2 provide a semi-circularportion l3 meeting the rear legs II The side frame members i I may besecured together and braced by cross bars 64, H3 under the frontseat-supporting portions H by the tread I2 extending between the steppedbends in the rear legs II and also by a front seat section It securedbetween the seat supports II.

A drawer may be mounted under the seat E5 on the cross bars It, I i butin the illustrated embodiment of the invention, this space is adaptedfor use for storage by providing a floor I! and end and front panels iiand H respectively. (This space is particularly useful for holding aniron and other articles used when ironing).

The rear section B of the stand comprises two identical side framemembers I8, it formed into a stepped shape providing uppertread-supporting portions I8 and lower tread-supporting portions Ifl toaccommodate two further treads I9 and 20 respectively, extending betweenthe two frame members; in the ladder position of Fig. 3 the framemembers IS above and below the lower tread-supporting portions I8provide upper and lower normally vertical portions I8 and 18respectively and below the portion It they extend rearwardly to providehorizontal rear seat-supporting portions I8 between which is secured arear seat section I5 to cooperate with the front seat section I5 andprovide a seat of convenient size when the device is in the chairposition. In line with the junctions of portions lt and I8 the rearsection B is pivoted to the frontsection A by the hinges lE between therear seat section I5 and the front seat section 15. hinges I5 aredisposed at the exact center of the semi-circular portions I3 andportions 59 and I8 are so dimensioned that the junction between themalways lies exactly on the semi-circular curve of the said portions [3to permit the rear section B to be locked conveniently in any angularposition. A locking device such as the device 2! adapted to be screwedagainst the said semi-circular portion is provided, including a boltadjustably threaded in a lug on the portion I8 or another suitablefastening device may be disposed as required for the same purpose.

The ironing board It is swingably attached to the frame through links22, 22, which are pivoted at one end to the bracket 23 at the mid-pointof the ironing board and at the other end to the rear ends of the armsI3 on the front section A of the frame, directly above the hinge itExtending outwardly from the upper tread- The supporting portions it atthe ends of the frame members l8 are end-threaded guide pins 24, andangle-members 25 at each side of the rear part of the ironing board H)provide longitudinal depending fianges 26 having slots 26* in which theguide pins 24 are received. The guide pins 24 slide from one end to theother of the slots 26* when the ironing board is being pivotallyadjusted into a rearward vertical relation to convert the combinationinto a chair, or into a fortion shown in the drawings is the position ofmaximum height in which the links 22, 22 are vertically disposed.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A device of the character described comprising an ironing board and astand adapted to support the ironing board at a convenient height abovethe floor, the stand comprising a front section in the form of a chairand providing a chair seat, and a rear section providing a step ladder,the front and rear sections being hinged together, one of the sectionsbeing shiftably connected to the ironing board and the other beingpivotally and slidably connected to the ironing board so that theironing board. and the rear section may be tilted either forwardly orrearwardly to convert the board and the stand either into a step ladderor into a chair.

2. A device of the character described comprising an ironing board and astand adapted to.

support the ironing board at a convenient height above the floor, thestand comprising a front section in the form of a chair and. providing achair seat and also providing a ladder step, and a rear section havingthe form of a ladder, the front section being pivotally connected to.the rear sec,- tion and shiftably connected to the ironing board and therear section being pivotally and slidably connected to the ironing boardso that the ironing board and the rear section may be tilted eitherforwardly or rearwardly from a horizontal into a substantially verticalposition of the ironing board to convert the said device into a ladderor into a chair.

3. A device of the character described comprising an ironing board and astand adapted to support the ironing board at a convenient height abovethe floor, the stand comprising a front section including spaced-apartend frames and having a seat and a step extending between the frames, apair of links attached to the ironing board at one and and pivotallyattached to the. front section at the other, and a rear sectionincluding spaced-apart end frames and a step extending between theframes, the rear section being pivotally connected to the front sectionat a location spaced from the said pivotal connection of the ends of thelinks and being pivotally attached by longitudinally slidable engagementwith the ironing board, whereby the ironing board is adapted to. besupported in a horizontal position and is adapted to be tilted with therear section either forwardly or rearwardly to a substantially verticalposi tion of the ironing board, the rear section when the ironing boardis tilted forwardly resting on The fastening device ill with the i 4 topof the front section whereby the step of the rear section is spaced fromthe step of the front section to provide a step ladder.

4. A device of the character described comprising anironing board and astand adapted to support the ironing board at a convenient height abovethe floor, the stand comprising a front section including spaced-apartend frames and having a seat section and a step extending between theframes, a pair of links attached to the ironing board at one end andpivotally attached to the front section at the other, and a rear sectionincluding spaced-apart end frames, a second sea-t section and a stepextending between the frames, the rear section being pivotally connectedto the front section at a location spaced from the said pivotalconnection of the ends of the links and being pivotally attached bylongitudinally slidable engagement with the ironing board, whereby theironing board is adapted to be supported in a horizontal position and isadapted to be tilted with the rear section either forwardly orrearwardly to a substantially vertical position of the ironing board,the rear section when the ironing board is tilted forwardly resting ontop of the front section whereby the step of the rear section is spacedfrom the step of the front section to provide a step ladder, he seatsections co-operating when the ironing board is tilted rearwardly toprovide a seat in front of the ironing board,

5, A device of the character described comprising an ironing board and astand adapted to support the ironing board at a convenient height abovethe floor, the stand comprising a front section including spaced-apartend frames and having a seat extending between the frames, the. framesincluding a step extending between and supported above the floor by theframes at the rear of the seat, a pair of. links attached to the ironingboard and each pivotally connected to the front section, and a rearsection including spaced-apart end frames and a. step extending betweenthe said frames, the rear section being pivotally connected to the frontsection at. a location spaced from the said pivotal connection of thelinks and being pivotally attached by longitudinal slidable engagementwith the ironing board, whereby the ironing board is adapted to besupported in a horizontal position and is adapted to be tilted with therear section either forwardly or rearwardly to a substantially vertical,position of the ironing board, the rear section when the ironing boardis tilted forwardly resting on top of the front section whereby the stepof the rear section is spaced from the step of the front section toprovide a step ladder.

6. A device ofthe character described comprising an ironing board and astand adapted to sup port the ironing board at a convenient height abovethe floor, the stand comprising a front section in the form of a chairand providing a chair seat and also providing a ladder step at. the rearof the seat, and a rear section having the form of a ladder andproviding a step spaced from the ends of the ladder, one end of theladder being pivotally connected to the front section and the other endof the ladder being pivotally' and slidably connected. to the ironingboard, the stand also including links connecting the ironing boardpivotally to the chair at a point spaced from the connection of theladder to the chair and spacing the ironing board from the chair, theironing board and the ladder being tiltable. either forwardly orrearwardly from a horizontal into a substantially vertical position ofthe ironing board to place the latter respectively above the chair toconvert the stand into a ladder or behind the chair to permit the chairto be used as such.

7. A device of the character described comprising an ironing board and astand adapted to support the ironing board at a convenient range ofheights above the floor, the stand comprising a front section in theform of a chair and providing a chair seat, and a rear section providinga ladder step, one end of the rear section being pivotally connected tothe front section and the other end of the rear section being pivotallyand slidably adjustably connected to the ironing board, the stand alsoincluding links pivotally connected to the ironing board and pivotallyconnected to the chair at a point spaced from the 6 connection of therear section to the chair, the links being adapted to space the ironingboard from the chair, the ironing board and the ladder being tiltableeither forwardly or rearwardly from one of a range of horizontalpositions into a substantially vertical position of the ironing board toplace the rear section respectively above the chair to convert the standinto a ladder orthe ironing board behind the chair to permit the chairto be used as such.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date D. 153,488 Balavny Apr. 26, 1949 929,689 Mullikin Aug. 3, 19091,307,420 Schmidt June 24, 1919

